I’ve heard of Kiva some time ago, but it wasn’t until last year in July 2009 that I made my first loan.
I looked around the Kiva site and read through stories from people all over the world who are flexing their entrepreneurial muscles regardless of what conditions they live in, to support their children and their families. Judith Adhiambo Odhiambo’s story from Kenya caught my attention.
Maybe I was taken by her shy smile or the blue-as-the-color-of-the-sky top she was wearing. Maybe it was her business – selling freshly made breakfast items from a kiosk – that caught my eye. Maybe it was the fact that no one has yet funded her loan request. Maybe it was all of these reasons. I made the loan immediately. Soon after that, 7 other lenders added funds and Judith was fully funded for her $275 loan request!
Then I went about my merry way, worrying about stuff like how I was going to juggle the mom thing with the business thing with the trying-to-figure-out-my-life-purpose thing. And I forgot about it. But I couldn’t forget completely about it, because every once in a while I would get an email telling me that Judith has repaid a portion of the loan.
Whenever I get the email about Judith having paid back a portion of the loan, I thought, “that’s really cool… I wonder what she’s baking, did she expand her inventory? How is business doing?”
Today I got an email saying that 100% of my original Kiva loan has been repaid. I was so excited! I felt a tremendous sense of optimism that Judith had “done it”. That feeling of being a part of someone being self reliant – it is like being part of someone’s continuing cultivation of personal freedom.
Self reliance and personal freedom are both very dear to me – you can imagine the sense of personal satisfaction I felt in “giving” this way.
So tonight I went on Kiva again to look for the next person I’m drawn to help.
This time it’s 36 year old Amarsanaa Gochoo from Mongolia. She’s a woman, she’s mongolian, and she drives a taxi to support her children:
Amarsanaa began her taxi service in 2004 in her local town. It is a difficult business for a woman, but she works hard every day for her children’s future. Amarsanaa is requesting a 3,000,000 MNT loan to fix up her car which is used as her taxi.
When you have to support your children you have no time to hear people telling you what you can or cannot do because you’re a woman!
And when the instrument through which you are breaking barriers is breaking down – well – we need to get that taxi fixed!
Breaking barriers is also very dear to me – so Amarsanaa, I am rooting for you!
Thank you and Kiva for the opportunity to give.
